Method and apparatus for measuring the contents in low boiling components in a liquid

ABSTRACT

Method of and apparatus for measuring in a continuous manner the content in low boiling components present in a liquid, especially for ascertaining the water content in steel hardening oil by continuously heating sample quantities of the liquid above the boiling point of the low hoiling components in said sample quantities, and by ascertaining the buoyancy of the liquid-steammixture formed by heating up the respective sample quantities.

United States Patent Schuster et a].

[ Mar. 12, 1974 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING TI-IE CONTENTS IN LOW BOILING COMPONENTS IN A LIQUID Inventors: Wilhelm Schuster; Hans-Joachim Hampel; Jiirgen Wittekind, all of Frankfurt, Germany Assignee: Ipsen Industries International Gesellschaft mit beschiankter Haftung, Kleve, Germany Filed: Oct. 25, 1972 Appl. No.: 300,723

US. Cl 73/61.l R Int. Cl. G01n 9/00 Field of Search 73/53, 73, 61.1 R, 76,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1972 Lineberg 73/61.3

2,362,661 11/1944 Peters et a1. 73/453 7 Primary ExaminerDonald O. Woodiel Assistant ExaminerAnthony V. Ciarlante Attorney, Agent, or FirmWalter Becker [5 7] ABSTRACT Method of and apparatus for measuring in a continuous manner the content in low boiling components present in a liquid, especially for ascertaining the water content in steel hardening oil by continuously heating sample quantities of the liquid above the boiling point of the low boiling components in said sample quantities, and by ascertaining the buoyancy of the liquid-steam-mixture formed by heating up the respective sample quantities.

5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE CONTENTS IN LOW BOILING COMPONENTS IN A LIQUID The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring in a continuous manner the content in low boiling components in a liquid, especially for ascertaining the water content of tallow oil or steel hardening oil, and more specifically, by heating a sample withdrawn from a liquid above the boiling point of the low boiling components.

Traces of water or volatile substances in tallow or steel hardening oil result in a foaming of the oil when inserting into the quenching oil bath the material to be hardened, whereby fire may be caused. in order to prevent such fire or accident, the water content must not exceed 0.1

For purposes of checking the water content of volatile substances in tallow oil or steel hardening oil, methods have become known according to which physical factors of the oil, for instance, the dielectric coeff cient is measured and is evaluated for ascertaining the variable to be measured. When exceeding a limit value, a warning signal is released. The devices operating in conformity with this method, however, have the drawback that they have to be serviced frequently and furthermore are easily liable to disorders. This is particularly the case when also a relatively low content in water or volatile substances has to be ascertained. Furthermore, the heretofore known devices of the type involved are rather complicated and therefore expensive.

By means of other heretofore known methods, it is possible to ascertain only the water content of the respective liquid, whereas the possibly present volatile substances such as oil cracking products are not ascertained.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a measuring apparatus which is simple in construction, reliable in its operation, and will also permit the ascertainment of relatively low quantities in water or other volatile substances.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the diagrammatic illustration of an apparatus according to the present invention.

The method according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that the buoyancy of the liquid-vapor-mixture caused by the heating of the sample withdrawn from the liquid to be checked is ascertaine as measured variable.

According to a particularly advantageous practicing of the present invention, the buoyancy is ascertained by means of one or a plurality of bodies which are floatable up to a certain steam content in the liquid-vapormixture, whereas at a high steam content the body or bodies will sink in the mixture.

The method according to the present invention may be practiced by a device which comprises a vertical heater passed through by the liquid sample, in which heater bodies which are floatable up to a certain steam content are arranged within vertical guiding means. According to one specific embodiment of the invention, the said bodies consist at least partially of ferromagnetic material and when dropping in a coil surrounding the said vertical guiding means will initiate an electric signal.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, a small quantity of oil is, in a continuous manner, withdrawn from an oil container or storage tank 1 and is, by means of a rotary pump 2, withdrawn from said oil tank and is conveyed to a heater 3 which may have the form of a vertical vessel or pipe. By means of heating cartridges 4 arranged in the foot of the heater, the liquid sample withdrawn from the tank 1 is heated up to a temperature above the boiling point of the low boiling components, especially water, to be ascertained. In this connection, a heating-up temperature of approximately C has been found very satisfactory. The oil will then, from the upper portion of the heater 3, be returned to the oil tank 1.

Within the heater there are arranged one or more bodies 5 by means of which the buoyancy of the liquid or the liquid-steam-mixture is measured in the heater.

In the illustrated specific embodiment of the invention, the body 5 is in the form of a ball which first, i.e. prior to the heating or which with water-free oil, is floated in the upper end position of the heater within vertical guiding means 6 which in the specific instance shown, is formed by a perforated pipe. This body or ball 5 is, as to its density, so selected that it is floatable only up to a certain steam content in the liquid steam mixture, but will sink at higher steam content. If the oil now contains water or other volatile components, a liquid-steam-mixture forms in the heater which mixture has a lower buoyancy than the pure oil. In view of this lower buoyancy, the body 5 sinks whereby also a certain minimum quantity of water or other liquid substances is indicated in the liquid.

In the present case, the ball-shaped body consists at least partially or ferromagnetic material so that when the floating body sinks in a coil 7 which surrounds the verticalguiding means 6 within the heater, an electric signal is generated which is indicated, for instance, by means of a Wheatstone bridge or another indicating device 8, and if desired is evaluated for initiating an alarm signal.

As will be seen from the above, the method according to the invention has the important advantage that the buoyancy canbe ascertained by means of measuring devices which are simple in construction and nonsensitive against disorders. For instance, the measuring results are not adulterated by the unavoidable impurities of the oil in the form of solid metal particles, and the like. Furthermore, it is of considerable importance that for purposes of ascertaining the measured values or variables, according to the invention a continuous withdrawal of a small oil sample will suffice which latter during its return, even without cooling off, will not materially affect the temperature of the entire oil bath.

Finally, it may be mentioned that the sinking of the body in the liquid steam mixture can by very simple means be converted into a signal.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present in-. vention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawing, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. A method of dynamic density-change measuring in a continuous manner the content in low boiling components present in a liquid, especially for ascertaining the water content in steel hardening oil, which includes in combination the steps of: in a continuous manner withdrawing a sample quantity from the liquid, the contents of which in low boiling components is to be measured, heating the thus withdrawn sample quantity above the boiling temperature of the low boiling components in said sample, and ascertaining the buoyancy of the liquid-steam-mixture obtained as a result of said last mentioned heating.

2. A method in combination according to claim 1, which includes the step of ascertaining the buoyancy of said liquid-steam-mixture in the respective sample quantity by inserting into the latter body, means adapted to float in said liquid-steam-mixture up to a certain steam' content only of said liquid-steam-mixture but sinking in said sample quantity when the steam content by density change exceeds said certain steam content.

3. An apparatus for measuring in a continuous manner the content in low boiling components present in a liquid, especially for ascertaining the water content in steel hardening oil, which includes in combination: storage means for receiving the liquid, the contents of which in low boiling components is to be ascertained, heater means provided with interior substantially vertical guiding means and having inlet and outlet means,

first conduit means leading from said storage means to said heater means for conveying liquid from said storage means to said heater means, second conduit means leading from said heater means to said storage means, and body means guided in said guiding means and adapted to float in the liquid withdrawn from said storage means into said heating means as long as the steam content of said liquid-vapor-mixture in said heater means is below a certain value, said body means sinking in the liquid in said heater means when the steam content the liquid-vapor mixture upon density change exceeds said certain value.

4. An apparatus in combination according to claim 3, which includes pump means interposed in said first conduit means.

5. An apparatus in combination according to claim 3, which includes coil means surrounding a portion of said guiding means in spaced vertical relationship to the upper portion of said guiding means and in which at least a portion of the outer surface of said body means consists of ferromagnetic material for cooperation with said coil means when upon density change said body means sinks in the liquid-vapor-mixture, said coil means being connectable to signaling means.

* l I! III Pa e 3,796 ,089 Dated March 12 1974 I Wilhelm Schuster et a1 Inventor(s) It is certified that error-appears inthe above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent ,are hereby corrected as shown below:-

On the cover sheet insert -=-Foreign application priority data Oct. 27, 1971 Germahy P 21 53' 471.4 On the cover sheet item I73] "beschia'nkter should read beschrankter e Signed and sealed this 24th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. I I V c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents I 

1. A method of dynamic density-change measuring in a continuous manner the content in low boiling components present in a liquid, especially for ascertaining the water content in steel hardening oil, which includes in combination the steps of: in a continuous manner withdrawing a sample quantity from the liquid, the contents of which in low boiling components is to be measured, heating the thus withdrawn sample quantity above the boiling temperature of the low boiling components in said sample, and ascertaining the buoyancy of the liquid-steam-mixture obtained as a result of said last mentIoned heating.
 2. A method in combination according to claim 1, which includes the step of ascertaining the buoyancy of said liquid-steam-mixture in the respective sample quantity by inserting into the latter body, means adapted to float in said liquid-steam-mixture up to a certain steam content only of said liquid-steam-mixture but sinking in said sample quantity when the steam content by density change exceeds said certain steam content.
 3. An apparatus for measuring in a continuous manner the content in low boiling components present in a liquid, especially for ascertaining the water content in steel hardening oil, which includes in combination: storage means for receiving the liquid, the contents of which in low boiling components is to be ascertained, heater means provided with interior substantially vertical guiding means and having inlet and outlet means, first conduit means leading from said storage means to said heater means for conveying liquid from said storage means to said heater means, second conduit means leading from said heater means to said storage means, and body means guided in said guiding means and adapted to float in the liquid withdrawn from said storage means into said heating means as long as the steam content of said liquid-vapor-mixture in said heater means is below a certain value, said body means sinking in the liquid in said heater means when the steam content the liquid-vapor mixture upon density change exceeds said certain value.
 4. An apparatus in combination according to claim 3, which includes pump means interposed in said first conduit means.
 5. An apparatus in combination according to claim 3, which includes coil means surrounding a portion of said guiding means in spaced vertical relationship to the upper portion of said guiding means and in which at least a portion of the outer surface of said body means consists of ferromagnetic material for cooperation with said coil means when upon density change said body means sinks in the liquid-vapor-mixture, said coil means being connectable to signaling means. 